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PIA News Service - Saturday, March 31, 2012

PPP to build brighter future for Butuan City – Mayor Amante

BUTUAN CITY, March 31 (PIA) -- The city government has partnered with Saint Joseph Institute of Technology's (SJIT) College of Engineering and Architecture to help design and transform the city into a green city and share in the ownership of the city and its development.

Citing the positive effects of a public private partnership (PPP), Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. said on Wednesday that the private sector should share in the resources, problems and gains of every project implementation since they have more money and more expertise in most cases.

In his speech during the 40th Commencement Exercises of SJIT, Amante said the PPP is the latest reform that is implemented by the city government.

Amante said through the PPP, the city will have a brighter future “as we rely on this partnership to build roads and bridges, develop renewable energy sources, improve our water supply, and even build seaports, airports, sports complex and enhance our tourism and even education.

The city’s chief executive also said in as far as providing quality education to the youths, the city government has partnered with SJIT in an educational collaboration with Toyo University in Tokyo, Japan for conducting researches in solid waste management.

Amante was invited as commencement speaker of the institute which is anchored on the theme: “Celebrating the Glorious Past and Soaring High towards Transformation for Nation Building”. (PIA-Caraga)

.Wounded military personnel receives award

BUTUAN CITY, March 31 (PIA) -- Two military personnel from the Army’s 4th Infantry Diamond Division received recognition for their bravery and personal sacrifice to accomplish their mission of protecting the people and securing the interest of the state in Caraga region.

MGen. Victor A Felix AFP, Commander of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division personally awarded the medals to the wounded personnel at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital Annex, Bancasi, Butuan City on Friday.

PFC Rodolfo G Bautista and PFC Elmer C Calabroso, who were wounded in action during the recent encounters against communist armed groups in the region were awarded the “Wounded Personnel Medal”.

The series of encounters led to the capture of the New People’s Army (NPA) main camp in the mountainous area of Sitio Kamalig, Barangay Puting Bato, Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte last March 13, 2012 are among these operations.

Prior to the capture of the said camp last March 8, 2012, troops of the 4th Infantry Division, Phil. Army encountered some 40 elements of the NPAs under Alyas "Do" at Sitio Lusong of the same barangay.

The said encounter took place near the location of the enemy's main camp. Heavy firefight ensued prompting the government troops to use artillery fires and rockets from MG520 attack helicopters against enemy formations. These resulted to the recovery of one AK47 rifle with ammunition and several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), while heavy bloodstains were found along the rebels' route of withdrawal indicating heavy casualties sustained by their group.

“We have professional soldier who are committed and willing to make personal sacrifices to end these threat and Win the Peace in this part of Mindanao," Felix said. (Maj Noli Kanashiro/4ID/PA/NCLM/PIA-Caraga).Agusan Norte farmers get P559K livelihood projects from DAR ARISP-III

BUTUAN CITY, March 31 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform through its Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project, Phase III (DAR-ARISP III) provided a package of Agricultural-Agribusiness Development (AAD) livelihood project assistance to the Cluster of Farmers’ Organizations in an agrarian reform community in the municipality of R.T. Romualdez, Agusan del Norte.

The cooperation of the DAR-ARISP-III, municipal local government of RTR, Federation of Agrarian Reform Communities Cooperatives (FEDARCCO), Peoples Alternative Study for Research and Education in Social Development, and Clusters of Peoples’ Organizations signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) recently at Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall.

Municipal Mayor Nilo D. Soliva renewed their commitment to support the program during the said MOA signing.

The total project cost was estimated at P559,000 with ARISP III sharing P269,055.

More than 353 farmer-beneficiaries will be benefitted from the AAD sub-project comprising of Vegetable Production with an estimated project cost of P231,289 with 112 farmers; Native Chicken Production with an estimated projects cost of P162,886 with 155 farmers; and Swine Raising with an estimated project cost of P164,418.46 with 86 women members.

The AAD sub-project aims to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of men & women members, product enhancement and marketing in partnership with FEDARCCO, generates employment, alleviate the economic conditions of the farmer beneficiaries in the area.

It will also focus on developing sustainable agribusiness/rural enterprise and livelihood that can increase to at least 30 percent from their usual income and promote development of appropriate production technologies and farm practices.

The project will be implemented by identified farmers’ organizations from Clusters of Peoples’ Organizations in TAGBABAPSA ARC with direct supervision from FEDARCCO in coordination with DAR-ARISP III this province. (Gil E. Miranda/DAR-AdN/NCLM/PIA-Caraga)